Boat-propelling mechanism



y 927 G. w. JoHNsroN BOAT PROPELLING MECHANISM Filed sept. 9. 19:26 l .S'sheets-sneet 1 Ma 3 l 2 u l 1 y 9 7 G. w. JoHNs'roN BoAT IBROPELLING MECHANISM Filed apn `9. 1926 s sheets-sheet 3 ,M7/less.' i l Patented May 3, 1927,

U NI T i BOAT-PROPELLING MEoiiANisivi.

Application led September 9, 1926. Serial No. 134,414.`

'-'l--- The present invention relates to apparatus for propelling water' craft, and aims to provide a novel form of boat propelling means making use of air motory appliances operativeA both for actuatingA the boatin a forward direction and also fory producing a boat retarding action as required for s low,-

ing down and stopping` or reversing the boats movement.

In carrying out this object'of the invention, I have. devised .a construction and arrangement ofair motor mechanism, employing air motors of the duplex type,v and including pump mechanism operative ,for helping to maintain a supply of air under pressure lfor the use of the motors. In this connection I have valso devised suitable means for exploding hydrocarbons with ya @View to assisting in maintaining the gas pressure supply and reinforcing the `same as the gas under pressure is fed to the various air motors.

The invention further comprises apparatus in which is included means adapted to be actuated by the-water current foroperating air compressing means, and also having` provision for utilizing this current-actuatedv means for aiding vin the propulsion of the boat under certain circumstances.

With the foregoing general objects in view, the invention willA now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one preferred form of construction, as well as a modified form of construction, which I have devised for embodying the proposed improvements, after which the several features vand combinations deemed to be novel will be particularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawings-` Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, illustrating a boat equipped with propeiling apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure ,2 is a plan view ofthe same, also trating the .electrical circuit and circuit clos-v ing device ofv the ignition, 1 means for the high pressure cylinder; Y

Figure 6 is an elevation, showing a, face view of oneof the propeller elements; f

Figure 7. is asection, taken `.on the line VII-VII of Figure 6; j

Figure 8 is .aside elevation, simi-lar to.

Figure 1, but illustrating a modified form Ofconstruction andarrangcment of the. prof peiling mechanism and apparatus for main* taniingttlie air pressure supply;

Figure@ is a plan view offthe same; and,r i 1 v .I igure 10 is an enlargedvertical sectional.

view of the clutch and governordevice emplloyed in the modified form` (if-construction.

lReferring now to the drawings in detail., v

these' illustrate the improved apparatus yin operativerelation to thehull 12 of the boat in the bow of which is formed acoinpressedair supply tank 13 equipped witha safety valve 14, asshown in Figures 1 and 2. For

maintaining a Vsupply of compressed air within thetank13,I employ an air com# pressing vmeans substantiallyof the type il,- lustrated in Patent 1,360,222, issuedgto me on November 23, 1920, and comprising'col# lapsible propelling lmembers 15 carried by avertical shaft extending centrallythrough thecompressorcasing 16- which is connected by a pipe 1T with the tank 13 and also with an exhaust pipe 18 controlled byfa valve 19. In the shaft between the propeller members 15 and compressor casing; 16l may be arranged a suitable clutch device 20 and' an operating handle 21. The' propeller membersl vare of courser mounted-beneath the hull of the boat, 'and' are kpreferably enclosed in suitable screen' work 22 to pref vent the entry of any foreign matter which might clog the action of the propellers.

`Mounted in suitable vbearing brackets 25 secured tothe bottom of the hull 12 `are reciprocating propeller shafts A26 and 26', each 28 mounted on horizontal pivots29, las clearly illustrated yin Figures@ and 7. The propeller members thus .describe d are mountedo-u the side shafts 26 so as to face .ina rear'.-k

ward direction, while the 4propeller ineinbr. `Carried by the. shatt 26" is mounted t0' face in the opposite or forward direction, whereby,'since the shutter elements 28 are automatically closed by the force of water pressure and automatically opened on moving in a direction opposite to that in which the .propeller members face, the propeller shafts ,26 act to propel the boat in a forward direction, and the shaft 26 effects a slowing down of the boats movement or a stopping or reversing of its movement altogether. y

Each of the shafts 26 and 26 is connected by a link 30 with a vertically arranged lever 31 operating about a pivot 32 within the hull of the boat, as shown in Figure 1. rFhe upper end of each o-f the levers31 is provided with a sliding pivotal connection, in-

dicated at 33, with the reciprocating plunger rod 34 of a duplex air motor cylinder 35 of thev same character.as-covered by my application lfor patent Serial No. 494,804, filed August 24, 1921. Each of the air motor cylinders 35 is Vprovided with an outlet connection36 with the' jacket 37 of a suitable high pressure cylinder 37, the latter having a safety valve 38 and. also a release or eX- haust outlet pipe 39 yleading to the stern ofthe boat. Each of the air motor cylinders-35 is also provided. with an intake con and 4, the pipe 43 connects with a. suitable valve 45 operated by a ratchet gear 46 which is rengaged by a pawl 47 fitted with a spring 48 and operating through the yoke 49 associated with the stem Oof said valve 45; The stem 50 also carries an arm 51 adapted intermittently to, close apair of contacts 52 included in an ignition circuit 53 (see Figure 5) andthereby intermittently producing a spark at the vspark plulg 54 fitted through the wall of said cylinder 37. The pawl 47 is pivotally connected, asindicated at 56 to the plunger rod 34 of the intermediate air motor cylinder 35 or the one which actuatesbthe propeller shaft 26.v

The plunger rod 34 of said intermediate cylinder 35 is also operatively connected with a single acting pump or compressor60 `provided with an intake pipe 61 connected with the lcompressed air supply tank 13, and also- .with an outlet pipe connection` 62 leading tol the high pressure tank 37 By this means f the compressed vair from the tank 13 is, by

the actionof said intermediate air moto-i' cylinder 35 and thepump or compressor V60, stepped up in pressure on its way to the cylinder 37 from which the supply is taken directly to the airmotors 35.

- The operation of the propelling 1necl1anism will doubtless be clear from the foregoing in the light: of the drawings, but may be briefly stated asfollows. A supply of yair under pressure is maintained in 'the tank 13 by thefaction of the pump or compressor y16 as operated by the folding blade'sl as actuated by the stream current, either 7 in the pipe 61 for manually controlling' the.

compressed air supply to the pump 60. rvlhe air pressure is kept up by the action of the cylinder 60, driven from the intermediate air motor cylinder 35, and the pressure within the cylinder 37 :is further mail'itained and increased by the intermittent explosion of the hydrocarbon charges fed thereinto, from thecylinder 42, asabove explained; A forward propulsion of the boat is thus effected, bythe reciprocation of the propeller shafts 26, and the boats movement steered by the usual form of rudder 67. propeller shaft 26 is rendered inoperative, in the forward movement of the boat, by removing the pin 33 at the upper end of the corresponding lever 31 whereby said propeller shaft y26 is actuated, and in case the operation of said shaft 26y and its pro* peller member is required, the pin 33 is restored for connecting said propeller shaft for operation by the plunger rod 34 of said intermediate kair motor cylinder 35, during which operation the valvesv41 connecting the cylinder 37 with the other air motor cylinder 35 are closed, thereby rendering the propeller shafts 26 inoperative.

In' Figures 8 to 1() I illustrate aA modifiedA form of construction, in which ythe air pump or compressor 16 is operated yby propeller blades 15 as before, for maintaining the supply ofcompressed air within the tank 13. yBesides the clutch 2O and clutch operating handle 21, however, the operating shaft of the propeller blades is equipped with a sprocket wheel 71 for driving a sprocket chain 72 which operates around a .much smaller clutch sprocket wheel 73 Journaled on a shaft 74 to which'is keyed- Normally, the

enr

a clutch sleeve 75 provided with Va common form of governor device indicated generally by thereferencenumeral 76 and-adapted toy be -manually operated by means of a clutch lever 77,v all as clearly shown lin Figures 8 and 10. The lower end of the shaft/74 ycarries a bevell gear 8O meshing with a bevel pinion 81 on the forward end of a propeller shaft 82 carried in bearing V action from the current flow to be employed for actuating the propeller 85 to drive the boat in a forward direction, for which pur` pose simply operate the clutch lever y21 for operatively connecting the sprocket wheel 7l with the shaft 70 in anv obvious manner. The remaining elements of this form of the construction operate in all 'respects the same as in the embodiment of the invention already .described It will thus be apparent that I have devised a simple and practical form of ,construction for carrying out the desired obyjects of the invention, in which connection it may be stated that the. air pump or com? presser 16 is maintained in operation by i its propeller blades through any forward movement of the boat or simply by the action of the current flow whenever the boat is moored with said blades submerged in the midst of a current.

Vhile l have illustrated .and described what I regard as the preferred form of embodiment of the invention, I desire to re. serve vthe right to make such changes as may fairly fall within the scope ofl the appended claims. A That I claim is:

1. Boat propelling means comprising reciprocating propeller members, duplex air motors for actuating said propeller members, a compressed air tank for maintaining a compressed air supply for said motors, an air pump or compressor connected with said tank, and current actuated means for open ating said air pump or compressor.

2. Boat propelling means comprising reciprocating' propeller members for imparting either forward of rearward movementl to the boat, duplex air motors for actuating said propeller members, a compressed air tank for maintaininga compressed air supply for said motors, an air pump or compressor connected with said tank, and curing action provided between the pump or rent actuated means foroperating said air pump or compressor.

e. Boat propelling means comprising` reciprocating propeller members, duplex air motors for. actuating said propeller mem'- bers, a compressed air .supply tank, a high pressure tank intermediate said supply tank and motors, and a pump actuated by one of said motors 'for stepping up the pressure between said supply tank and high L pressure tank.

ai. Boat propelling reciprocating propeller members, duplex air motors for actuating said propeller members, a compressed air supply tank, a'high pressureftank intermediate said supply tank and motors, and means forintermittently firing a charge of hydrocarbon compound'- within said high pressure cylinder.

v5. Boat propelling vmeans comprising reciprocating propeller members, duplex air motors for actuating said propeller memm bers, a compressed air supply tank, ahigh pressure tank intermediate said supply tank and motors, means for intermittently sup-l plying a charge of hydrocarbon compound means comprising to said high pressure cylinder, and means v operating in'timed relation to said first intermittent means for ignitingysaid hydrocarbon compound. Y

6. Boat propelling means comprising reciprocating propeller members, duplexv air motors for actuating. said propellerinem-,

bers, a compressed air. supply tank, a high pressure tank intermediate said supply .tank

and motors, valve means actuated by one vof said motors ttor feeding a charge of' hydrocarbon compound to said high `pressure cylinder, and means operating in timed relation to said valve `means for igniting enonen w. JOHNSTON.- f

comprising 

